


All Through the Night

by The_Plaid_Slytherin



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin
Genre: Babies, Fluff, M/M, Newborn Children, Parents Stannis Baratheon/Davos Seaworth, Post Mpreg
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-08
Updated: 2019-09-08
Packaged: 2020-10-12 05:29:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,197
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20559014
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Plaid_Slytherin/pseuds/The_Plaid_Slytherin
Summary: Stannis enjoys the nights with a newborn.





	All Through the Night

**Author's Note:**

  * For [greygerbil](https://archiveofourown.org/users/greygerbil/gifts).

The baby's cries rose even higher than the storm winds that buffeted the walls of Dragonstone. Stannis opened one eye, but Davos was already up, admitting cold air when he lifted the bedclothes. Stannis watched him as he went over to the cradle. 

He could still barely believe that six weeks ago, Davos had, with much difficulty, delivered their daughter. His apprehension over the birth and Davos' recovery was only just starting to recede—he still sometimes woke in the middle of the night to ensure his husband was still beside him. He still dreamed of it, Maester Cressen forcing him from the birthing room after pushing into his arms a small, screaming stranger. 

Stannis had studied her, all while trying to listen for any indication that all was not right behind the thick oak door. He heard Maester Cressen and yes—he heard Davos. 

It was all too long before he was readmitted, Davos too pale and tired-looking, and Stannis had vowed right then that Betha would be their only child. He would not do this to Davos again. They had named her for a queen, Stannis' own great-grandmother, and it was she who would be Lady of Dragonstone after he was gone.

But Stannis knew the fear would fade in time. He smiled as he watched Davos make his way slowly back to the bed, cooing to the wailing bundle. He could not take his eyes off them. 

"Here," Stannis said, pulling the curtains on the bed once Davos had gotten into it. "You'll be cold. She'll be cold."

Davos smiled. Betha was beginning to quieten; she still wanted to eat every four hours, which meant long nights, especially as Davos was resistant to employing a nurse.

"I can take care of her," he'd said simply, but he was doing it at the expense of his own—and Stannis' sleep. 

He continued to watch them, eyes drooping. However much he was unsure of himself with the baby, he liked watching Davos tend to her. Every time he looked at them, he felt a surge of love. He was already thinking of how he would educate her in all the things a lord must know, as well as those of a lady. After all, his mother had helped his father enough that Stannis was more than prepared to give Betha the same education, even if she, by some chance, did have a little brother. 

"You can go back to sleep," Davos said.

"I don't want to." Stannis slid down against the headboard, his gaze still fixed on his husband and daughter. He crossed his arms over his chest. He had never experienced such contentment before. She was perfect. He watched her tiny hands wave in the air, searching for something to grab. Stannis had found himself stooping over her cradle, just so she could grab his finger. She was very intelligent, if he said so himself. Certainly more intelligent than her cousin Joffrey, who was a scant month older. 

Feeding finished, Davos made to get out of bed, but Stannis reached for the baby. "Let me."

Davos smiled. "If you're sure." 

Stannis wasn't sure—it wasn't that he didn't want to take care of his daughter, but he had no idea what to do. Renly had had a nurse, and she'd barely let Stannis hold his brother. 

"I'll change her wrappings," Stannis said, taking Betha in his arms and climbing out of bed. 

She was squirming, her little legs kicking at her loose wrappings. Her blue eyes were wide; she looked disconcertingly awake. He would not get her back to sleep at this rate. 

Stannis crossed the room to the table Davos had coopted to change the baby on. He worked quickly, trying to remember all the times he'd watched Davos. Somehow, it seemed to come out wrong. Betha was staring at him, as though he amused her. 

"Shh," he said in an undertone. "I may not be doing as well as your papa, but he's a sailor and knows his knots."

From the bed, Davos yawned. "If you've put a knot in it, you're doing it wrong." 

Stannis scowled and undid his work. Betha kicked her legs happily once they were freed. 

Davos kindly gave detailed instructions which Stannis followed diligently. Betha seemed content to be again tightly swaddled and Stannis rocked her gently. Davos often sang to her to get her to go to sleep, but Stannis could not think of any songs… 

_The light on the sea   
Shining out on the dark  
Brings you home to me   
My sailor my love_

The words came back to him unbidden, a memory of his own mother rocking him and Robert on a dark, stormy night at Storm's End, perhaps when their father was away. 

_And all through the night   
The light will shine on   
Til I hold you tight   
My sailor my love_

Slowly, Betha's eyelids began to droop and Stannis stooped gently to set her in her cradle. He went over to stoke the fire to keep them all warm and hurried back over to the bed. Davos preferred to keep the curtains open when Betha wasn't with them in the bed. 

Again, Stannis reflected how odd their arrangement was. In a normal family (at least in Stannis' view), the parents would sleep separately, the child in the nursery with a nurse. If not for Davos insisting otherwise, he would barely see Betha, just as he knew Robert barely saw Joffrey. 

And she was perfect. 

"Ah, your feet are cold," Davos said, drawing closer. "I'll have to warm them up." 

Stannis allowed Davos to draw him into his arms. He was more than happy to be warmed up. 

"That song," Davos murmured, after Stannis was sufficiently warmed. "I didn't know you could sing."

"I can't." 

"Obviously, you can. You did." Davos smiled. "I should like to hear you do it more often. Your voice is…"

"You cannot say it is lovely, Davos." 

"I can." Davos ran his fingers—the shortened ones, Stannis realized with a shiver—through his hair. Davos had to have noticed how much his hair was thinning, but he didn't seem to mind. "Betha likes it."

"Betha is not a woman of discerning tastes."

Davos smiled sleepily. "She has good taste, like her papa."

Stannis settled down. Usually, he would be very interested in continuing to flirt with his husband, but having a newborn had made him much more interested in sleep than he ever had been before. He made a noncommittal noise. "I would argue Betha is very suggestible to her papa's wishes." 

"Mm." Davos seemed to be similarly inclined to sleep. His hand still found Stannis', though, and he slid closer. "I think she is very like her sire."

Stannis frowned in the dark, even as Davos drifted off to sleep, wondering how that could possibly be. He lifted his head and glanced over at Betha, whose sleeping form was barely visible in the firelight. 

She could not be like Stannis at all. She was far too perfect. 

He settled down to sleep himself, keeping his eyes on Betha. Just in case she should need him in the night.


End file.
